Shloka 1

Śālagrāma–Sudarśana-Vyūha Nirūpaṇa, Tīrtha-Saṅgraha, Samvatsara-Nāma, and Mantra-Rakṣā

Devanagari script

स्त्रीनरलक्षणं नाम पञ्चषष्टितमो ऽध्यायः हरिरुवाच / निर्लक्षणा शुभा स्याच्च चक्राङ्कितशिलार्चनात् / आदौ सुदर्शनो मूर्तिर्लक्ष्मीनारायणः परः

Transliteration

strīnaralakṣaṇaṃ nāma pañcaṣaṣṭitamo 'dhyāyaḥ hariruvāca / nirlakṣaṇā śubhā syācca cakrāṅkitaśilārcanāt / ādau sudarśano mūrtirlakṣmīnārāyaṇaḥ paraḥ

Translation

ഹരി അരുളിച്ചെയ്തു—ശുഭലക്ഷണങ്ങളില്ലാത്തവളും ചക്രാങ്കിത ശില (ശാലഗ്രാമം) ആരാധനയാൽ ഭാഗ്യവതിയാകുന്നു. ആദിയിൽ സുദർശനമൂർത്തി; അവൻ തന്നെയാണ് പരമ ലക്ഷ്മീ‑നാരായണൻ।

Word by Word

• स्त्रीनरलक्षणम्: (chapter on) characteristics of women and men
• स्त्रीनरलक्षणम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + नर (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (स्त्री-नर) + तत्पुरुष (लक्षण)

• नाम: named
• नाम: Sambandha (Apposition marker/नाम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (particle; naming/iti-artha)

• पञ्चषष्टितमः: sixty-fifth
• पञ्चषष्टितमः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पञ्च (प्रातिपदिक) + षष्टि (प्रातिपदिक) + तम (प्रत्यय)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal) विशेषण (of अध्यायः)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• हरिः: Hari
• हरिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: हरि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• निर्लक्षणा: without (bad) marks/defects
• निर्लक्षणा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् (उपसर्ग) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of implied स्त्री)

• शुभा: auspicious
• शुभा: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• स्यात्: would be/should be
• स्यात्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)

• चक्राङ्कितशिलार्चनात्: from worship of a stone marked with a discus
• चक्राङ्कितशिलार्चनात्: Hetu (Cause/हेतु)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र (प्रातिपदिक) + अङ्कित (कृदन्त/प्रातिपदिक) + शिला (प्रातिपदिक) + अर्चन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी (5th/Ablative), एकवचन; कारणहेतु (from/by worship of...)

• आदौ: in the beginning
• आदौ: Sambandha (Adverbial/क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्यय (adverb; 'at first/in the beginning')

• सुदर्शनः: Sudarśana
• सुदर्शनः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• मूर्तिः: form/icon
• मूर्तिः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• लक्ष्मीनारायणः: Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa
• लक्ष्मीनारायणः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लक्ष्मी (प्रातिपदिक) + नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; द्वन्द्व (लक्ष्मी-नारायण)

• परः: supreme
• परः: Visheshana (Adjectival/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (of लक्ष्मीनारायणः)

Speaker

Hari (Lord Vishnu)

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Bhagavat-bhakti—worship of Sudarśana-marked sacred stone—can confer auspiciousness even where external ‘marks’ are absent.

Vedantic Theme: Īśvara-anugraha (divine grace) overriding limitations of birth/appearance; devotion as purifier.

Application: Establish regular Viṣṇu/Śālagrāma worship with reverence, purity, and ethical living; seek inner auspiciousness over mere external signs.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: tirtha/household shrine

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana: Śālagrāma-māhātmya and Viṣṇu-bhakti passages (where present); Garuda Purana: Sudarśana as protective aspect of Viṣṇu

Characters & Entities

• Hari (Vishnu)
• Sudarśana
• Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa

FAQs

What is the importance of worshipping a chakra-marked sacred stone in the Garuda Purana?

This verse states that worship of a discus-marked sacred stone (cakrāṅkita-śilā) can make even a person lacking auspicious signs become fortunate, emphasizing the purifying and auspicious power of Viṣṇu-centered worship.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly, it points to divine grace as a transforming force: devotion to Lakṣmī-Nārāyaṇa (especially in the Sudarśana form) can overturn inauspicious conditions, aligning one toward auspicious destiny and spiritual upliftment.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Maintain regular Viṣṇu worship (e.g., śālagrāma/Viṣṇu pūjā with reverence), focusing on inner conduct and devotion rather than anxiety over external “signs,” cultivating auspiciousness through sāttvika practice.